Kushtha Ashram in a poor shape

SIWAN: Rajendra Seva Kushtha Ashram at Mairwa in the Siwan district is languishing due to non-availability of funds for several years. The Ashram is spread over 25 acres of land and has the capacity to accommodate 200 patients.
It was established in 1953 by Jagdish Din, a disciple of Baba Raghav Das. The first president of the country, Rajendra Prasad, had laid its foundation stone.
The Ashram is reeling under severe financial crisis mainly due to the stoppage of the government aid of Rs 35 lakh a year.The proper process of recommendation by the state government to the Centre has not been followed in this regard since 1991 due to which the financial aid was stopped.
More than two hundred employees of this Ashram are facing starvation due to non-payment of their salaries. Currently, the Ashram has only 14 patients.
Earlier, the Ashram ran two training institutions on its premises and conducted state and national-level seminars and technical sessions. Many dignitaries have visited the Ashram in the past.
Besides treating the patients, the Ashram also used to impart vocational training to them in several disciplines to help them become self-reliant.
However, these things have now become a matter of past.
According to sources, the trustees of the Ashram once included former Union minister the late Hari Nath Mishra, former chief minister Satyendra Narayan Singh, former governor Siddheshwar Prasad, noted orthopaedic surgeon Dr B Mukhopadhyaya and former chief secretary Arun Pathak.
The district magistrates of Saran, Siwan and Gopalganj are the ex-officio vice-presidents of the Ashram.
As many as eight doctors, 200 employees and a fleet of vehicles are lying idle in the Ashram these days.
The former chief medical officer of the Ashram and former MLA, Dr Tribhuvan Singh, stressed on the need for converting this indoor hospital into a referral hospital.
He suggested that the government should take over the Ashram and revive its old glory. He further said that the three district magistrates must come forward to protect the property of the Ashram.